The Vegas Trip
by GlitterFairyPrincess
Summary: Dick, Veronica, Logan, and Mac on the anniversary of Beaver's suicide. Takes place about a month after series finale. Lo/Ve and Angst. Oneshot. Disclaimer: RT owns VM, no infringement intended.


**A story from GFP? I know it's shocking. I've had half of this written down for about a year and had it stuffed away somewhere. Then I found it yesterday and had inspiration to finish it. Hopefully, that will translate to being able to write more (Especially on Escaping Neptune).**

**A/N: Spoilers through entire show, especially Poughkeepsie, Tramps, and Thieves; Story includes Very Strong Language, and Mature Subjects**

**Neptune, California – Crescent Cove Beach**

Dick Casablancas walked down the beach aimlessly, wishing he had someone, _anyone,_ to hang with. In times like these his thoughts went straight to his brother. It was times like these that Dick preferred to get drunk and get laid. Anything to avoid dwelling on Beaver. _Cassidy_. These were the times Logan always knew to silently hand him a beer and a controller before they played video games until they couldn't see straight. Or they'd surf. He knew that Logan was his real family, so when Logan walked past him with a duffel bag and said he'd see him in a week, it hadn't fazed Dick. It never occurred to Dick what that meant.

Now it was midnight and Dick was walking alone on a beach on the anniversary of his little brother swan-diving off the Neptune Grand. He was glad night fall was setting in so none of the hundreds of summer beach-goers would see the tears now streaming down his face. No one could hear him muttering about guilt and sorrow and loneliness. He didn't know if he'd been walking for minutes or hours when a thought of better times paralyzed him. He was so caught up in his grief he never saw it coming. The crash to the ground came as such a surprise he squealed like a school girl until his face hit the sand. If the tangling of his limbs with someone else's hadn't brought him out of his thoughts, the recourse directed at him sure did.

"Why don't you watch where the hell you're going, dumbass?!"

_Fuck. Of all the voices in all the world, why did it have to be hers?!_ "Veronica?" He uttered. His face was so close to hers he could feel her breath.

"Dick?! What the hell are you doing? Get off me!" She yelled at him with determination. She brushed at her cheeks furiously and pulled her earphones out, while clambering to get away from him. He picked himself up and tried to wipe away any signs that he'd been crying, but found it difficult with sand now pasted to his tear-stained face. It was then he noticed she was trying to hide a matching sniffle. Sitting on a beach in the dark. Alone. After midnight.

"Sorry, Ronnie. I didn't see you."

"Obviously." She observed bitterly.

"Well? What the hell are you doing sitting by yourself on the beach in the dark?!" He accused. "It's after midnight."

"You're by yourself at the beach in the dark too!" She shot back.

"Yeah. And I'm a foot taller than you and can defend myself." He justified. _Logan would kill me if I left Veronica Mars here like this._ He sat down next to her and watched in amazement as she visibly stiffened, then surprisingly, relaxed. That was new.

"What are you doing?!" She asked, looking at him like he'd suffered brain damage. "I can take care of myself." She flashed her taser at him.

"Like I'd ever survive the beating I'd get from Logan if I left you alone on the beach in the dark." He complained. She saw through his mask. He needed a warm body next to him as badly as she did.

"This day sucks." She declared, staring out at the ocean. The statement was so heartfelt and sincere, and held so much of the same anger/sadness/angst/betrayal that he felt, it overwhelmed him. Dick Casablancas did not cry. And it was absolutely forbidden in front of a girl. It went against every Man Rule out there. Tonight, however, it was like someone had taken the will right out of him. His head fell to his hands and he commenced crying. Not the tough guy silent kind, either. This was chest-heaving, gut-wrenching, feel-it-in-your-bones sobbing. Veronica was stunned into silence, torn between fleeing for her life and wrapping her arms around a boy so apparently broken inside. Even if it was Dick Casablancas. She did the only thing she could imagine doing without making herself nauseous. She placed a tentative hand on his back. The gesture felt awkward and unsure, but she sensed his appreciation and even ventured to further calm him by sliding her thumb back and forth. Her own tears streamed steadily, but silently down her cheeks.

**Henderson Nevada – Lake Las Vegas, Reflection Bay Golf Club**

"This is absurd, Logan." She complained. "Not only is it seven in the morning, but I look like a cupcake!" She gestured wildly at the pastel pink polo shirt and khaki capris she wore. "And, I don't know the first thing about this game, and it's already about a million degrees out here!"

"Mac, you don't look like a cupcake." He said with a genuine smile. "And what's to know? Get the ball into the hole by hitting it with a metal stick." He pointed at his monogrammed golf bag.

"Easy for you to say. You're not wearing _pink_!" She whined and pointed to his navy blue polo with white pin stripes and khaki slacks.

"I'm sorry, it was the only color they had!" He laughed. "And I didn't plan on Earl's wife begging for your company."

"If this doesn't pan out after all you've put me through, I'm enlisting the help of Keith Mars to make sure the world never hears from Logan Echolls again." She crossed her arms in annoyance.

"Ha ha." He dead panned. "Okay, Cindy Mackenzie, you might want to get a few shots in while we're here at the Practice Facility. Unless of course you want the first time you hit a ball to happen with strangers watching your every move."

"Fine." She pulled a club out of her rented bag.

"You should use a driver not a putter." He interrupted. She glared at him in frustration. "The big fat ones are for long distances. The putter, like you have in your hand, is for putting when you're on the flat surface right by the hole. While we're warming up, you should also try out some of your irons to get a feel for them."

"I hate you."

"Aw, I love you too, Mackie." He said and he blew her a kiss before sailing a ball across the wide lawn.

By the fourth hole, Mac had taken to hovering around Logan with the insistence that she wanted to learn this game. He was the obvious choice to study as he'd birdied every hole so far. And apparently, birdie means scoring one below par, as she'd learned from Logan's surprising golf knowledge. What felt like six hours later, they were on the eighth green. Earl's wife, Elaine, was blathering on and on about how fabulous it was to be golfing with _The Logan Echolls_ and that her husband better close the deal with the pair so these golfing trips could become routine.

"What, did you have Tiger Woods as a golf coach or something?" Earl griped as Logan made par on a hole practically surrounded by water.

"Phil Mickelson, actually." Logan replied. Earl laughed at the joke. When Logan didn't change his expression, Earl's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Yeah, right." He challenged.

"My mom was good friends with him. While my father was on location, my mom would take me golfing with Phil."

"You know Phil Mickelson?!"

"Who's Phil Mickelson?" Mac asked, clearly avoiding the other female's incessant nattering.

"Are you kidding me?" Earl asked in exasperation. "Who doesn't know who Phil Mickelson is?"

"Hey, man. There's no need to be mean to her." Logan chastised. "He's like the Woz of the golf world." He said, turning toward Mac.

"Ahh, so he's like a famous golf legend?" She smiled in understanding.

"What's a Woz?" Earl asked.

"Who doesn't know who Steven Wozniak is?!" Mac challenged. Logan laughed at her snarkiness, thankful she was there to dilute Earl's pompous braggadocio and childish overreactions to his poorly-played game.

"Who?" Earl grimaced.

"He's like the Phil Mickelson of the computer world." Mac snickered. Earl glanced at his watch and feigned shock at the time.

"I think Elaine and I are going to have to cut this short at the ninth. I didn't realize how late it was getting."

"Aw, bummer. We're having so much fun! Are you sure?" Mac said, sounding entirely genuine. Logan looked at her trying to hide his look of horror at what she'd said. While Earl fished his ball out of the water hazard next to the ninth hole, Logan glanced at Mac with curiosity.

"You're not really having fun are you?" He clarified.

"With Donald and Ivanna?" She teased. "I'd rather be singing karaoke buck-naked at Folsom Prison."

"Earl is such an asshole." Logan groaned. "And he's only backing out early because he bet a hundred bucks on the game."

"If Elaine says _The Logan Echolls _one more time, I might scream."

"I'm so tired of her saying my name like it's some kind of mantra." He smiled. "I like to save that privilege for women who share my bed." He winked.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes at him. "When you're actually _golfing_ you look like you're having a good time." She observed.

"I guess I am. Golf is kind of fun." He shrugged it off.

"We could finish the rest after they leave, if you want." She offered.

"You wouldn't mind?" He questioned, his eyes brightening.

"No, you're right. It is kind of fun. It's challenging." Mac grinned.

"I think you're the first girl I know besides my mom who had fun on a golf course. The one time I went with Duncan, Lilly, and Veronica was kind of a nightmare."

"I can't imagine Veronica would be patient enough for golf." Mack acknowledged.

"Actually, patience was more, Lilly's problem. Veronica's insanely patient. She can sit in a car and stare at a door for hours. Perfection is her problem. She does not like to be bad at something. And the madder you get, the worse your game gets." Mac saw Logan get a faraway look in his eyes. She recognized the look as one Veronica displayed on a regular basis. She wondered if they had any clue how alike they had grown.

"Today's the anniversary." Mac said before she realized she'd just spoken her thought aloud.

"What?" He was brought back to the present. "What anniversary?"

"Cass…uh, the day Cassidy…" Her voice failed her. Logan looked at her wide-eyed as realization set in.

"Oh, fuck." He exclaimed. "I'm the worst best friend ever. Dick is alone! He has no one to talk to. And we, oh, fuck, why did we throw our phones into the Grand Canyon yesterday?! Shit!"

"We didn't want the distractions back home to control every aspect of our lives." Mac moaned. "Today that seems a little stupid."

"I have to get to a phone. Rain check on the back nine?"

"Yeah, let's just go." She agreed.

Twenty minutes later they stood in the Golf Shop staring at each other guiltily. They'd tried the Grand with no answer at the suite. Logan left three messages, but couldn't remember Dick's cell phone number. In fact, he really only had two numbers memorized. She didn't answer her cell phone the four times he tried. Logan and Mac left the golf course and went about their dealings, calling every few hours without response.

"Veronica?! Is that you? Sweetie?!" Keith answered his home phone frantically when Logan had finally gone with his last resort.

"Uh, Mr. Mars? It's Logan."

"Oh," He replied with disappointment. "Wait, Logan why are _you_ calling from Vegas? Are you there with Veronica and Dick?! Is she okay?!"

"What? I'm calling for Veronica because she's not answering her cell. How'd you know I was in Vegas? Wait, caller ID, stupid question."

"So, you're telling me she's not there with you?" Keith asked.

"No. I'm here with Mac. We're at a conference looking for financial backers for our website. Are you saying Veronica is missing?!" Logan's heart dropped into his shoes.

"She left a note. I know she's upset about her internship getting cut because of the budget, but she won't do anything stupid, right?" Keith answered, deflated.

"What did it say?" Logan quizzed.

"Dad, I'm going out of town for a few days. I ran into Dick Casablancas at the beach and we realized we had a lot in common and we both needed to get out of Neptune for a little while. I'm leaving my cell phone here, so don't bother tracking it. I know you'll worry, so I'm going to be up front with you so you know we'll be in Las Vegas. Please just give us a couple days before you send the National Guard. If Wallace calls from Africa tell him I miss him. For anyone else, I have my laptop, so you can have them email me. I love you, Dad. Veronica." Keith read.

"What? Where are they staying?" Logan yelled into the phone.

"Logan, I don't know."

"Don't lie. You ran their credit cards the minute you saw the note. Where are they?"

"He booked one of the Tower Suites at the Encore. She hasn't used her card."

"He only booked one room?"

"Yeah. They wouldn't, I mean, Logan, she hates Dick, right? They're not in Vegas to get married, right?"

"No fucking way. Not a possibility." He agreed with Keith. "I have to go, Mr. Mars." _I'm going to kill him._

"Logan, please call me if you hear anything."

"Yeah, of course." Logan hung up and turned to Mac. "We have to go back to our hotel."

"What's going on? You said Veronica is missing."

"No. Apparently she's staying in one of the suites in our hotel."

"Our hotel here in Vegas?! Oh my God. Wait, I thought she and Piz broke up? They didn't…she wouldn't…Oh my God, she's not pregnant, right?"

"She's not here with Piz. She's here with Dick." Logan said, not believing the words coming out of his mouth.

"You have BFF on the brain. You just said she's here in a suite with Dick.'

"Yeah. Because she is. Wait, they broke up?!"

"Piz and Veronica? Yeah, like two weeks ago." Mac said, rushing with him to the car. "I thought you two were trying to be friends again. She didn't tell you?"

"I might have messed up that friends thing up when I got drunk and told her off a couple weeks ago. We haven't talked since."

"What do you mean 'told her off'?"

"I was hammered." He justified.

"What did you say?" She sighed.

"That I could have met every one of her fucking requirements and it still never would have been enough because I'm not Duncan Kane. And I never will be." He pressed the button on his keys to unlock the doors on his Range Rover.

"Wow." Mac sighed again as she jumped into the passenger seat.

"And…I may have called her a two-faced hypocritical bitch for forgiving Duncan for fucking Kendall while he was Veronica's boyfriend, but never letting it go that I had a drunken hookup with Madison while I was drinking away the pain of our breakup in Aspen."

"When will you two ever learn?"

"That putting the two of us together tends to have the same result as an atomic bomb?"

"Not what I was thinking actually." Mac shook her head.

**Las Vegas, Nevada – Encore Resort**

_Fifteen minutes._ Mac mused as they rode a private elevator. She didn't know if she should be amused or appalled that it only took Logan fifteen minutes to sweet talk the girl at the counter into giving them the room number and key to the room paid for with Dick's credit card.

"I never noticed it before, but Veronica was right about you." She leaned against the wall.

"About what?" Logan was pulled from the thoughts swimming in his head and he looked at Mac.

"I always thought she was crazy, but flirting is an art form for you. I can see why she was jealous all the time. You get into a zone-like state and it's like everyone else in the world disappears. Like you only see the object of your flirtation." She remarked.

"That's not true." He dismissed her assessment.

"Yes it is. I ceased to exist while you were flirting with that girl. I'm not complaining, I just think it's interesting. It gives me a whole new view on why Veronica always preferred to keep you to herself and not hang out with groups."

"She has always known how I feel about her. I tell her every chance I get. It's Veronica that can't open up. Not me." He complained. Mac didn't miss his use of the present tense.

"I'm not saying anything about your love. I'm saying it's easier for me to see why she had trouble believing it. It's more and observation about her than you. Until just now, I couldn't understand how she'd ever doubt it. I've seen you look at her. But, knowing how she analyzes every tiny detail about everything, a flirt session like that would've thrown her for a total loop. She's not exactly the most confident girl I've ever met. I'm sure she'd have spent at least an hour on whether or not she compared to the tall buxom blonde who looks like she might be a porn star on the side. We _are_ talking about a girl who was raped of that self-confidence." Mac's statement caused her pain, even as the words left her mouth.

Logan's mouth tripped on his tongue as he searched for an answer to Mac's claims. Then the elevator announced they'd reached their chosen floor with an ominous chime. Logan charged out of the elevator, remembering why he was there. Mac chased after him, noticing he'd forgotten about her presence again. She assumed no one was in when she saw how dark the room was once they'd opened the door. Before she even moved she noticed the strong smell of alcohol. She was only one step into the room when she heard the unmistakable sound of a fist hitting a face. _So that's what hell breaking loose sounds like._

"What the fuck is going on?!" Logan raged. "You're supposed to be my best friend! You fucking asshole!" Mac rushed in to find the tiny Veronica desperately trying to pull Logan off of Dick Casablancas. Dick was wearing boxers and nothing else. Veronica was in only a large white tee shirt.

"Logan!" Veronica shrieked. "Logan, Stop it!"

"Stop?!" He roared and turned to face her. "Are you fucking kidding me? You're fucking my best friend?!"

"What?! You can't honestly think I'd do that to you!" No one in the room could mistake the sound of horror in her voice. Then her tone changed. "No. Of course you could. You made your feelings about me abundantly clear the last time we spoke." She rushed over to a bag and jumped into a pair of jeans.

"You're in his shirt! He's in boxers! You're in BED TOGETHER! What the fuck should I think?!" Logan's voice was filled with confusion and betrayal.

"Dude. No way." Dick slurred, obviously drunk.

"This?!" She pointed to the large shirt she was wearing, and then ripped it off to reveal a tank top underneath. "This is YOUR shirt. Not his!" She threw it at Logan's head and grabbed her shoes, bag, and jacket. "I just drove your drunk-assed best friend six hours to find you because on today of all days, he needed you. And when we got here, we find you golfing with some blonde pop tart and he tried to hide it from me so that I wouldn't be hurt. Let me tell you, Logan, you definitely win the best friend award today!" She then grabbed her keys off a nearby table. "Consider him delivered. You and your little chippy can worry about getting him some clothes not covered in puke. Later, Dick." With that, she flew out of the room, right passed an utterly stunned Mac. Logan stared after her in panic.

"I told you I looked like a pastry." Mac teased to lighten the mood. "If you're not going after her, I will." She said when Logan turned silently to his mess of a best friend. Mac heard the ding of the elevator and ran after her friend. "Veronica!! Veronica, wait!" She leapt inside just as the doors were about to close. Veronica slumped to the floor. Tears trailed silently down her cheeks.

"Veronica?" Mac said gently as she pushed a button on the elevator.

"Mac?!" She looked up in confusion. "You're…blonde?"

"Can't get anything past you, Bond." She teased. "It's a mistake. I was feeling like one of those college girls gone wild, or something. I know it's awful. I'll be fixing it any minute now."

"I guess it's not that bad. Just surprising." Veronica encouraged. Mac laughed.

"You always do that. Make me feel better when you're having a personal crisis." Mac challenged. "Just so you know, Logan and I are here on a business trip. Golf was for a deal with some pretentious asshat. And you called me a pop tart." They arrived at another floor and Mac held the door open, while she offered Veronica a hand. The tiny blonde accepted the aid and followed Mac out of the elevator.

"Where are we going?" Veronica's breath was ragged.

"My room. Unless you want to continue falling apart while the security guards pull out the pop corn."

"Anything to get away from him." She moved into the room Mac had opened and sat on the bed.

"Logan loves you, Veronica. And to be fair? It didn't look so good. You two half naked in a bed together in Vegas?"

"Get away from Dick." Veronica clarified. "He's a total wreck."

"I know how he feels." Mac mumbled. "I dyed my hair blonde." She grimaced and pointed to herself. "Wreck-central."

"Are you okay?"

"Not so much today." She admitted.

"Me neither." Veronica agreed.

**-xxxxxx-**

"You should apologize." Dick announced, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"I'm so sorry, man. It looked like-" Logan said whole-heartedly.

"Not to me, Fuckhead. She's the only reason I'm not dead right now. I was going to drive here myself, but she hid my keys."

"No apology would be enough for what I did to her." Logan sighed.

"You're right. It's definitely better to not even try." Dick groaned and collapsed back on the bed. "I'm gonna sleep until the spinning stops." Logan looked down at his friend and felt another stab of regret as he saw what was surely the beginning of a black eye.

"I'll be back later with some clothes." Logan said quietly. "And something for your hangover."

"And some ice for my face." Dick ordered sleepily.

"Yeah." Logan ambled out of the room and moved toward the elevator in a daze, tripping on a shoe. She had dropped it in her haste. He wondered where she'd be. And how anyone survived before cell phones. And again, why he'd thrown his phone to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. He resorted to regrouping in his hotel room. He could hear muffled voices coming from the door adjoining his room and Mac's and made a quick decision to knock. It swung open wide and Mac ushered him in.

"I think you might need this." He held the shoe out to Veronica.

"I'm going to leave you two to your Cinderella moment." Mac announced and left quickly.

"This is definitely not Cinderella. I'd make a really shitty Prince Charming." Logan declared.

"Every girl dreams of the day a guy chooses to marry her based on her shoe size." Veronica added with mock excitement. The tears glittering on her eyelashes caused an overwhelming desire in him to pull her to his chest and protect her from whatever made her want to cry. When it occurred to him that _he_ was what made her cry, he wanted to kick his own ass. He avoided reaching out to her by running his hand through his hair.

"If Dick issues advice on girls to me, I've been programmed to do the exact opposite." Logan replied. "But, somehow, my instincts are confused right now. What if he gave me good advice?"

"Run it by a girl first. If she agrees, base your decision upon her occupation. For example, if she's a stripper, do the opposite."

"Well, you're a girl. I'll run it by you. He said I should apologize to the girl."

"But you don't think you should?" She questioned.

"I don't think anything I say or do will ever be enough for an apology. At least, not the apology she deserves. And then he said something that bordered on insightful. He said I was right. That I just shouldn't even try."

"How is that insightful?!" She scoffed.

"He was being sarcastic." Logan stopped her. "But I don't even know where to start. What do I say to get her to understand that I blow every God-damned thing out of proportion because I am terrified that any moment, she's going to realize she is so much better than me? That she deserves to have that perfect boyfriend and I am just some pathetic asshole who is holding her back?"

"As long as we're seeking advice…What would I have to do to prove to a guy that I don't want a perfect boyfriend? Because a perfect guy could never handle a girl as screwed up as I am?"

"This is ridiculous. I love you, Veronica. No matter what I do, it won't go away. Believe me, I've tried. And I've tried to be friends with you. It doesn't work. You say you're not built to trust me, well, I'm not built to stand idly by and watch the woman I'm madly in love with date a bunch of losers because she's not in love back. So I need you to get it over with once and for all. Just tell me you don't love me so I can maybe get it to sink in. And then it will be done. I'm walking away and cutting off all communication. Because I can't keep torturing myself like this. You're the only thing I have in Neptune anyway. I'll just get the hell out of there." Veronica looked at Logan with eyes wide and mouth agape as she listened. One sentence threw her entire world off kilter. _He's not built to stand idly by?_

"So, you decided against the apology then?" She snarked to avoid the realization that had just set upon her.

"You want me to apologize for loving you? For wanting to be with you? For being jealous of anyone who gets within ten feet of you?" He asked in frustration at her avoidance.

"Maybe for calling me a two-faced hypocritical bitch?" She asked, his own words coming back to slap him in the face.

"Honestly? I'm not sorry I said it." He sighed. She looked sadder almost instantly. "I'm sorry anything I've ever done has hurt you, but I don't understand why I'm the only person you hold to that higher standard. I know I sound like a five year old, but it's not fair! Everyone else in your life is allowed a little fuck up room. Everyone but me."

"It's not just you. It's my dad and Wallace too." She admitted.

"What?" He questioned, confused by her sudden admittance.

"You're the ones who have the capability to hurt me worse than other people. So I keep you on short leashes." She offered as an explanation.

"How do I have the capability to hurt you more than Duncan?" He challenged bitterly.

"Because I was never in love with Duncan like I am with you."

"Yeah, right. You two were practically set for marriage." Logan snorted. "The golden couple. You never loved me like that."

"That is your most annoying character trait, you know." Veronica looked at him sadly.

"Gee, thanks." He glared back scathingly. "And here I thought biting realism would be right up your alley."

"That's not realism, Logan. It's like the emotional version of body dysmorphia." She snapped at him. He stared back in disbelief for a split second before his brain betrayed his heart. He laughed out loud. It wasn't bitter or sad, just honest to goodness amusement. The girl in front of him entertained him to no end. His chuckling left her perplexed. She wasn't sure if she should be offended or comforted that he was smiling at all.

"I'm sorry." He shook his head. "'Emotional version of body dysmorphia'? Did you get bored in the Psychology section at work again?"

"No." She defended her answer, quickly becoming offended.

"And I think the word you were searching for is actually delusional, though I'm not sure how you intend to apply that to me."

"I meant what I said." She charged. "It's not like you're completely delusional. It's just delusional that anyone could love you. It's like you think you're not worthy of love and therefore no one could ever possibly love you. And no offense, but with your parents, I guess that shouldn't be surprising, but it always catches me off guard. And I think it's probably why you would ever choose me in the first place. The girl who can't say I love you because everyone she ever says that to goes away. So, really, if anyone in this relationship doesn't deserve the other? It'd be me who doesn't deserve you. I'm the one who can't be what you need." With that said, Veronica ran. She ran out the door and down the hall, through a stairwell door and down the stairs. It took Logan a second to realize she actually physically ran away. Again. This time he reacted quickly and ran after her, only to collide with Mac in the hallway.

"Do me a favor." Logan stated. He handed her his wallet. "Get Dick clothes, food, and ice for his eye. The Black Amex is under the ID." He ran out the door that had slammed shut. Mac gaped at him for a moment, and then opened the wallet curiously. She pulled out the black credit card and imagined some of the amazing things she could buy if she owned a no-limit credit card. She headed down to the lobby gift shop. This was obviously where her cupcake outfit had come from and she happily noted that Logan hadn't lied about the pink shirt being the only option. She picked out a polo shirt and a pair of jeans for Dick, realizing she had no clue what sizes to get. She held the clothes up and scrunched her eyes, trying to picture his tall frame.

Eventually she found herself outside his suite with two bags of food, a bag of clothes, and a bag of ice. It was only when she'd kicked the door to knock that it occurred to her that on the other side of the door was Dick Casablancas.

"Tell me he sent you because they're shagging." He said as he opened the door, looking better rested than a drunk with a black eye should, but still adorning only a pair of boxers.

"Tell me you didn't fake drunk to get them in the same room." She countered.

"This is the result of a really shitty day complete with a shitload of booze. I don't normally look like this." He answered, genuinely offended.

"You look better than you did earlier." She offered.

"I bounce back." He smiled at his own comment. "You on the other hand, look better-" He pointed at her.

"Stuff it, Jackass." She interrupted before he could say as a blonde or in girly clothes. She shoved his bags at him.

"What's your problem?" He complained, grabbing the bags.

"My problem? I look better how Dick? As a blonde? In girly clothes? That's such a shady way to say, you look nice, not like normally, when you look ugly." She growled.

"Dude. I was going to say better the other way. What was wrong with your Ghost World clothes? Now you're like a fucking Madison clone."

"Excuse me?" She said, caught off guard.

"I'm just saying you were hotter before. You shouldn't have gone all Barbie on me." He turned and moved into the room to go through the bags.

"You liked me better before? Not that your opinion matters."

"Whatever." He pulled the clothes out of the bag and pulled the pants on. She realized she was staring and turned away, embarrassed.

"Sorry if they don't fit. Logan didn't mention your size when he threw his wallet at me." She turned back and decided she'd chosen well as the clothes fit him nicely.

"They're fine. Why did Logan throw his wallet at you?"

"He was chasing Veronica down the stairs." She rolled her eyes.

"I just don't get that girl." He exclaimed. "Six fucking hours in a car with her fucking whining about Logan. Then we get here, and he proves he wants her by playing Mike Tyson with my face-"

"Because your dumb ass was in bed with her! Did you not see what he did to Piz? What were you thinking?"

"That there was only one bed in the place and it was huge and she was under the covers and I was on top and there were three pillows between us and, oh yeah, I was drunk as FUCK. She helped get my ass to Vegas. I was trying to make her feel better by talking to her and then we fell asleep. Next thing I know I wake up to Logan's fist." At that statement, he placed the bag of ice on his face.

"You need to put cloth over that. You shouldn't put ice straight on the wound." Mac advised.

"Says who?" He questioned.

"My mom?" She shrugged and realized she had no idea if that was true or not. "I'll google it when I'm back in my room."

"Ronnie's computer is right there. Google it now." He pointed to the table.

"She chooses random passwords and changes them monthly. Wanting to google is not a good enough reason to go through the trouble to hack my way into her private laptop."

"Here." He went to the table and opened it. He punched in a password and brought it to Veronica's desktop.

"How do you know Veronica's password?"

"She had me check her email for Logan's credit card purchases while we were driving here. And she doesn't know that even drunk, I have a great memory for shit like that."

"Good to know." Mac frowned, but moved over to the computer anyway to go online.

**-xxxxxxx-**

"Veronica! Please stop!" Logan pleaded with the blonde streak a full flight of stairs below him. "Just stop, already. You know I'm going to catch you." He announced, closing in the gap by a few stairs and noted she wasn't running at full speed anymore.

"Why are you even chasing me?" She finally asked as she stopped running and sat down on the stairs.

"Because you're running." He stated breathlessly as he moved down from where she was to stand on the landing below her. They both stared at each other breathing deeply.

"You said you were done with us." She finally responded.

"I said I'll be done with us when you tell me you don't love me. You didn't say that. You said you're in love with me. And then you ran."

"I said what?" Veronica asked agog. "No I didn't. I said I couldn't be what you need."

"You said, and I quote, 'Because I was never in love with Duncan like I am with you'." He smirked as her jaw dropped. "And I'm just crazy enough to overanalyze that statement because that's not just an 'I loved you when we were together'. That's a present tense 'I'm in love with you'. Yeah, you added all that other crap afterwards, but I'm choosing to focus on the important facts." He leaned against the wall and crossed his ankles and his arms.

"Logan, we were fighting, it doesn't-" She started backtracking.

"Stop, Veronica. Give me a moment to revel."

"There's nothing to revel in. It didn't mean anything." She argued before standing up. Logan sensed her escape attempt and moved to pin her against the wall, with his arms on either side of her. He hovered over her, his face dangerously close to hers.

"Fine then. It didn't mean anything." He spoke menacingly. "Like I said before, tell me you don't love me and I will leave you alone. Permanently." She looked into his serious eyes warily.

"I-" She started. "I don't."

"You don't what?" He prompted.

"You know." She answered.

"I do know. Now you tell me." He demanded. She remained silent, looking down. "Tell me, Veronica! Look at me and tell me to my face!" He yelled.

"Why? Why do you want me to say it so badly?" She whimpered.

"I told you. I need this. I need to hear it. Look at me." He moved her chin up with his right hand. "Just tell me." He begged.

"Logan, we're so messed up. Why does everything have to be so messed up? Why can't we go back when everything was better?" She asked between sniffles as tears flowed again from her eyes.

"When was everything better? When we were little? My dad was beating me. Your mom was cheating on your dad. Just because we could pretend things were good, didn't mean they actually were. You and I were dealt shitty hands. There are no re-deals. You either keep playing or you fold, but the decision is now."

"Why do you want me to tell you to go?"

"I don't." He replied. "I want to stop waiting for you to tell me what you want. You know what you want. You decided a long time ago. But you're right. I am fucked up. I can't believe anyone would ever love me. But at the same time, it doesn't matter if they do. Because I won't leave unless I'm told it's okay. I told you I would always be here and here I am. But you can set me free. You just have to tell me you don't love me anymore and then I'll leave." He stated, tears now flowing from his eyes.

"I don't want you to leave, Logan." She cried.

"Why?"

"Haven't I lost enough, already? You want me to lose you too?"

"That's not an answer. You don't need me to protect you. You don't need me to comfort you. You have plenty of other people who will help you at the drop of a hat. _What's so special about me?_ Why don't you want _me_ to leave?"

"Why do I have to have a reason?!"

"Tell me, Veronica!"

"I can't explain our-"

"Why?!"

"It's not that simp-"

"Why, Veronica?!" He roared and hit his hand against the wall next to her head.

"Because I love you!" She yelled back at him, pushing him away from her. He countered her actions, by wrapping his arms around her.

"Then stop fucking fighting it." Logan pleaded with her as he buried his face into her hair. "You say you can't simplify things. You say everything is so messed up. Well, there it is, Veronica. I love you and you love me. If you'd stop fighting it, it wouldn't be so complicated."

"And what am I supposed to do about the fact that you fucked Madison?" She cried into his chest, her arms wrapping around her midsection.

"You trust me with everything else when I don't deserve it. Why can't you trust me with this? I was so fucked up that night I didn't know what I was doing. It had nothing to do with you."

"Logan, you broke up with me that time. And you went to her. Of all the people on earth you could have gone to, you went to the living embodiment of everything that's wrong with me. She's all the things I can't be for you."

"You're right, Veronica, because you could never be a mindless fuck to me. I could never use you for sex to get over you. I could never force you onto your hands and knees so that I wouldn't have to look you in the face. I could never pull away after sex and regret even knowing you. I could never look at you after sex and wonder how I let myself become one of the idiots that ever hit that pathetic mess. And I certainly wouldn't ever jump out of the bed, throw on my clothes and run the fuck out of the room just to get away from you. But, why would you want to be any of those things to me?"

"If it was really all that horrible for you, then how does she know what you like?"

"What are you talking about?"

"She pulled me aside to give me advice on what you would like. If it was really so horrible with her, then why was she around long enough to learn your likes or dislikes?"

"She pulled you aside when? I don't even know what that means. What likes and dislikes?"

"She told me you would prefer two-piece lingerie instead of one." She finally admitted with a sniffle.

"Lingerie? Veronica, I never even took her shirt all the way off. Did it ever occur to you that she may have just come up to you to be a bitch? I mean, you keep telling me about how she's the bane of your existence, why would she ever offer you advice unless she just wanted to hurt you? I mean, what person would ever randomly offer lingerie advice out of the blue." Logan growled in frustration. Veronica remained silent as she pondered what he said.

"It wasn't entirely out of the blue. We were in a lingerie store. She advised me to stay away from the one-piece stuff."

"Okay. Wait, this is the part of the story I've never heard. What exactly did she say to you?"

"It doesn't matter." She sighed.

"It obviously does matter. Tell me what she said. Maybe I can discredit her."

"Logan." She groaned.

"Okay, I'll start. What were you doing in a lingerie store with her?"

"She just showed up at the same store I was in."

"You said she commented on your one-piece stuff. What does that mean?"

"I had some stuff I was going to buy and she told me you wouldn't like it because it was one-piece."

"You were buying lingerie to wear for me?" Logan asked in complete surprise.

"Do we really have to re-live one of my most embarrassing moments ever?"

"Yes. Okay, so by one-piece you mean like a teddy? You were buying a teddy?"

"I'm so done with this conversation." She griped.

"No, you are definitely not ending this conversation. You've never worn anything like that, at least not for me."

"Well, I didn't end up buying them because I had to go throw up after talking to Madison." Logan pulled away from her a bit and held her face in his hands so she was looking at him.

"Veronica Mars, that is so incredibly hot."

"Me puking?" She looked at him like he was insane.

"No, you buying lingerie to wear for me. I mean, like on a scale of 1 to 10, that's 10,000."

"Yeah, well, apparently you wouldn't have liked it."

"Yes, I most certainly would have." He challenged. "But she was right. I wouldn't have liked a one piece-"

"Exactly. Because she was obviously-"

"ON HER. Because it would have meant more work. And God knows, I wouldn't have wanted to spend a second longer with her than I did. And if there was any way to erase the entire twenty minutes I spent with her from the time I saw her at the bar, to going to her room, to the point I hightailed it out of there, I would." Logan stated earnestly. "Veronica, none of that is true for you, because I've only ever wanted to spend more time with you, not less. I love you in anything, Veronica. And if you were buying something to wear for me, I wouldn't care if it was a neon green bearskin parka. I would still love you in it. And I love that you would ever even _want_ to buy something to wear for me. Because, I love you, Veronica. Do you hear me? I love you."

"But, I'm not good at any of that sex stuff."

"You are so incredibly wrong. You are amazing at that sex stuff. And you are so much sexier than you give yourself credit for. And it just makes me love you more."

"Stop fishing." Veronica chided. "I already admitted it."

"Admitted what?" Logan asked with an innocent smile. She rolled her eyes at him.

"We still have a lot to talk about before we go forward." She frowned.

"Go forward with what?" He questioned just to be difficult.

"I hate you." She smacked his side.

"You love me." He grinned and closed the gap between them. He brushed her bangs from her face once before bringing his lips to hers tentatively. The moment their lips touched, she pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. He moved his hands down to her waist and she threw her arms around his neck.

"I love you." She whispered into his lips. He laughed and lifted her up to spin her around, never breaking their kiss. He set her back down two stairs up to close the distance between their heights. He sucked gently on her bottom lip until she opened her mouth with a sharp intake of air. He entwined his fingers in her hair and pulled her closer before darting his tongue past her lips. She dug her fingers into his back and twisted her tongue with his. They traded dominance of the kiss back and forth until they both pulled back gasping for air.

"You have no idea how much I want to continue this." Logan stated sadly. She looked up at him in confusion. "And I want to have the conversation we need to have, but, I have to check on Dick. And Mac. And you need to call your dad."

"Do you think maybe we could all do something tonight? I mean, this day, it just sucks. Just something to take our minds off it?" Veronica requested.

"Yeah. I think that would be a good idea. We could order a movie. And, Mac and I found an amazing Chinese food place that delivers. Let's go see if they're okay hanging out together tonight." He grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with hers, walking up the stairs.

"Wait." She pulled him back. He looked down at her with concern. She went up on her tip toes and kissed him passionately for a few minutes, eventually pulling away with a satisfied smile. "It's been way too long since I've been kissed really well."

His smirk became a goofy grin. "Admit it, he was a terrible kisser. I mean, he even looked like a terrible kisser."

"We need to get you back to your BFF." She changed the subject and pulled him up the stairs.

**-xxxxxx-**

"Hey, guys." Veronica stated incredulously as she found Mac and Dick sitting at opposite ends of the couch in Mac's suite, each with a game controller in their hands, their eyes glued to whatever game they were playing.

"Hey." Mac replied, glancing up to see Logan wrapping his arms around Veronica from behind.

"Watch your back, Mackenzie!" Dick yelled as his character saved her from sniper fire.

"Thanks." She shouted back.

"How's your face, Dick?" Logan queried.

"Feels like I got punched, Asswipe." Dick responded, never turning away from the game. "And if you two didn't get back together after that shit, I'm locking you both in a fucking cage until you figure out what everyone else on earth already has."

"What has everyone else figured out?" Logan challenged.

"That you two are only good when you're together, and you're a bunch of bitches when you're not." Mac stated and giggled and she took a swig from whatever clear liquid she was drinking.

"Exactly." Dick agreed with a chuckle, drinking from his glass of the same colorless drink.

"Dick, please tell me you're not getting drunk again. And dragging one of my best friends down with you." Veronica growled. "Can't you get over one hangover before moving on to the next?!"

"I'm not getting drunk. This is water." He announced.

"Mine too." Mac added with another giggle.

"Um, Veronica, we should probably order that food." Logan changed the subject. "Here's the menu. Order more than you think we'll need."

"Why?" She asked suspiciously.

"Because there's an empty pan of brownies on the table and two giddy people on the couch. I'm sure the munchies will start any minute now." Logan advised.

"Dick! You gave Mac pot brownies?!" Veronica shrieked and smacked Dick in the back of the head.

"Dude! Freaking chill the fuck out! Mac provided the brownies, not me!" He shot back at her. Mac began laughing so hard she fell off the couch.

"What?!"

"Max made them. Mac stole them as a parting shot when she dumped him before coming with me to Vegas." Logan explained, calmly. He hugged Veronica to him. "And apparently Mac and Dick decided to eat them. So, I'm starving. Let's order some food."

"Are you saying we have to babysit stoners all night?" Veronica groaned.

"Unless you'd like to leave Mac with Dick while they're both stoned." Logan smirked.

"Babysitting it is."

An hour later, they all sat on the couch watching a movie in the dark hotel room with tubs of Chinese food scattered over the table. "Dick!" Mac loudly whispered.

"What?" He loudly whispered back.

"Do you think they'd notice if we ate the last eggrolls?" She motioned towards Veronica and Logan.

"I don't think they'd notice a bomb going off." He replied.

"Dick." Mac studied the tangled bodies at the other end of the couch.

"What?"

"Where's Logan's hand? It's missing!" She pointed. Dick twisted his head around examining them himself.

"Dude! Logan, where's your hand?" Dick shouted. "You're right, Mackie. It is missing."

Veronica peeled herself away from Logan and pulled him up off the couch with her. "Fuck it. They can fend for themselves." She announced with labored breathing and extra pink cheeks. She dragged him toward the hotel room door. "We'll go to the other suite."

"Dick, you can sleep in my room." Logan called out and used one hand to throw his room key at Dick's head . Then he sucked on the index finger on his other hand with a smile.

"It's about fucking time you two got laid!" Dick crowed after them.

"Don't do anything we're about to do." Logan yelled as a parting shot before rushing through the door towards the elevator.

"God, I thought they'd never leave!" Mac sighed and collapsed on the couch.

"Wanted to get me alone, did you?" Dick raised his eyebrows at her.

"No. I just didn't want to watch them getting their grind on."

"If you're interested in getting your own grind on, I'm available." Dick snickered.

"There definitely weren't enough brownies for that. I doubt there are enough brownies on earth for that." She revised.

"You didn't recoil in disgust, which means I'm wearing you down. Eventually, you'll realize you really want to ride the Dick-mobile."

"And statements like that ensure that will never happen." Mac challenged. They sat in silence watching the movie for a few minutes.

"Thanks, Mac. It's after midnight now. You helped me survive yesterday." Dick stated.

"You helped me get through it too."

"You think they're humping like bunnies down there?" Dick questioned.

"Yup." Mac nodded uncomfortably.

"Good. They deserve to be happy." He sighed. "And they really love each other, you know? So, it's like, if they can't make it, how is there hope anyone else can?"

"Go to bed, Dick. You're starting to make sense."

"You're gonna love me someday, Cindy Mackenzie." He teased.

"Don't hold your breath, Richard Casablancas." She retorted.

"Night." He said before getting up and going toward Logan's room.

"Good night." She replied as he disappeared behind the door. She opened her laptop and started a new email to Wallace.

_They're finally back together. It all happened in Vegas. Like I said, we just had to get them the hell out of Neptune. Oh, and if I ever even look at a pot brownie again, shoot me. I almost kissed Dick (yeah, DICK CASABLANCAS!) because he dared me to. Luckily, Logan and Veronica came back into the room and saved me from what was obviously the drugs addling my brain. Drugs are officially bad. Miss you. Be safe and all that._

_-Mac_

**-XXX-**

**Okay, I could really use some feedback. As anyone reading Escaping Neptune might have noticed, I've been absent for a while around here. My writing brain got lost in what feels like a black hole. The story ideas are all there, but the capability to get them down has been evading me. This doesn't feel like my best work, but I kind of like it, all the same. What do you think?? Please review!!! This is me begging!!**


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